New York outdoors ban

[Sar]

Just saw a news item that NYC's mayor Bloomberg is pushing outdoors smoking ban that will ban smoking in main public outdoor areas, inluding Time Square, Central and many other parks. City council needs to approve it yet. Has anyone heard about this? It seems to be limited to New York City.

 

[MoonRose]

Saw it reported on Yahoo News.

 

[rekeybobby]

saw it on fox this morning

 

[kristin]

That's going to be a fun job to police. Don't the cops there have enough to deal with??

"Sorry you were mugged, lady, but we were busy ticketing 200 smokers in Times Square."

 

[Sar]

I don't remember which channel I had on, but there was a panel consisting of a doctor, lawyer and another public figure and although they had different angles they all ultimately agreed that this is ridiculous and going too far. They recommended that people make their voices heard and contact the city council representatives. To pass this bill, Bloomberg needs at least half of the council to pass it.

 

[Sar]

That's going to be a fun job to police. Don't the cops there have enough to deal with??

"Sorry you were mugged, lady, but we were busy ticketing 200 smokers in Times Square."

And the Central Park is nearly thousand acres! The ban also includes beaches. It is getting so easy to be a criminal in New York.

 

[CJsKee]

And it's happening all over the country!!! Nicotine Buzz

 

[Sar]

And it's happening all over the country!!! Nicotine Buzz

Perhaps to keep people distracted from other issues.
The ironic part is that Times Square is in the center of the city that gets bus and car fumes all day long. A cigarette smoke is really the least of your worries if you are concerned about air quality. Plus, it is one of the biggest tourist attractions. it will be interesting to see how good will the tourists feel when they get a $200 fine for lighting up.

 

[PlanetScribbles]

Simple, the tourists (smokers and vapers anyway) will stop visiting NY. Way to go Mr Bloomberg.

 

[DaMulta]

i would take up smoking again just to protest a government state!!!

 

[dfs405]

Total governmental control of all of its SUBJECTS -that is the plan-before you know it we will be forced to build pyramids for our kings to be buried in.

 

[karmatized]

This effects parks and beaches. And its not about health. They saw smokers stood by and accepted 12 dollar packs because of the new tax so they figured hey what if we could ticket them for even more money.

 

[DaMulta]

I think paying super high taxes pays for your right to smoke anywhere you please......

 

[CtryBoy]

Think vaping might become popular in New York if ban happens. Think Burbank or some other CA town did basically the same thing banning smoking within 25 ft of door/window. Still waiting for one of these tickets to be written against someone for vaping. I'd love to challenge that ticket in court, but no telling how that three ring circus would turn out. Just love Bloomberg's argument that the 'Park is for fresh air, not smoking'.

Pretty soon you will not be able to eat at mcdonald's, eat a twinkie for desert, or enjoy an after dinner smoke. You may live a lot longer, but they are going to make sure you dont enjoy one minute of it. Please save me mister Bloomberg, someone's smoking a cigarette on the other side of the park and I think I can smell it....'cough' 'cough'.

Some anti tried to claim that cigarette butts are 70% of the litter found on the beaches, but that's only after all the big stuff has been picked up according to the smoker rebutting her.

 

[Lil' Lou]

I don't remember which channel I had on, but there was a panel consisting of a doctor, lawyer and another public figure and although they had different angles they all ultimately agreed that this is ridiculous and going too far. They recommended that people make their voices heard and contact the city council representatives. To pass this bill, Bloomberg needs at least half of the council to pass it.

FYI - I dropped a quick note to Christine Quinn, NY City Council Speaker a few weeks back via their website New York City Council - Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn .
I figured it ended up in a virtual black hole as I never heard anything back, but lo and behold, I checked my email this morning and there were 2 replies from council members in my inbox. One was an actual response (probably standard boilerplate, but nevertheless...) and the other was just an out of office blah blah... Anywho, for folks thinking of writing to them - it looks like messages sent via the link above (Contact Speaker Quinn tab), will not only go to the speaker but to some or all the members too. ;-)

Here is the message I rec'd from Jessica Lappin (D-5th District):

Thank you for your email regarding the Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to ban smoking from beaches, parks, and pedestrian plazas.
In general, I support the Mayor’s efforts to reduce smoking in our city and am pleased that smoking is no longer allowed in restaurants and bars. However, as this law would apply to public outdoor areas, I am curious to learn more about how it would work logistically and how it would be enforced. I look forward to hearing from other New Yorkers and learning more during the Council’s public hearing process.
Thank you, again, for sharing your views. I appreciate your comments and will weigh your feedback as I consider this legislation moving forward.

Sincerely,
Jessica Lappin

Edit: Looks like they have a hearing regarding the proposed ban on Oct 14 - http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=122904&GUID=7EE47CC6-77CF-489B-8310-E79DB3D41A3A&Options=info|&Search=

 

[sherid]

I sent this not on the contact page.
Although I am not a NYC resident, I am a frequent visitor. Your plan to ban smoking in the great outdoors ensures that I and others who used to love NYC will never visit again. Perhaps that is not important to you, but it is to me. While the city calls for diversity and tolerance for its Muslim neighbors, it isolates smokers in an ill-disguised campaign against them and a march to prohibition. There is not one reliable study that shows that cigarette smoke in the great outdoors is harmful. There are many that show that pollution is. How does one separate the dissipating smoke from the pollution that hangs in the air to arrive at such a conclusion? NYC is/was the nation's city. It can never be called that again if you continue to bow at the feet of Mike Bloomberg and his mission to ban 45 million people from the streets and parks of NYC.